S. 2602 expands the military's authority to conduct defensive cyber operations by explicitly including the protection of the Department of Defense's critical infrastructure as a mission. Currently, the law authorizes cyber operations for force protection, but this bill adds defense of critical infrastructure to that list. The legislation defines critical infrastructure as any Defense Department asset so important that a cyber attack destroying or disabling it would severely harm the military's ability to carry out its missions. The bill, introduced by Senator Rounds in July 2025, has been referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee. No specific funding or implementation timeline is mentioned in the legislation.